What My Late-in-Life Autism Diagnosis Taught Me about Change | Anna Kutbay | TEDxGeorgetown

Kutbay discusses the personal challenges she faced as she grappled with her autism diagnosis. She shares lessons from her approach to change that can be instructive and supportive for individuals of all backgrounds. Anna Kutbay is a 1L at Georgetown University Law Center where she's a member of the Mock Trial team, the Public Interest Corps, and Outlaw. She's originally from Morristown, Tennessee and received her BA and MA in Economics from The University of Alabama in 2022. Her late-in-life Autism diagnosis forced her to re-evaluate much of what she thought she knew about herself, her passions, and her ability to pursue a legal education. Now, Anna has used that experience to continually discuss and advocate for women with Autism who routinely go undiagnosed, posing the tough question: what do you do when a sudden diagnosis disrupts your sense of normalcy, and how can you use that change to engage in self-reflection and actualization? This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

[@tartgreenapple1]

Diagnosed Autistic with ADHD last year at the age of 51. It answers so many questions and explains so many things. 50 years of being undiagnosed has brought a lot of trauma. Unfortunately, popular culture has backlashed against us, saying that its just a trend. It most certainly is not a trend. People just want to invalidate others. Thank you for speaking out.

[@alfreedfandangle]

Thanks for invalidating my experience. 🖕

[@tartgreenapple1]

@@alfreedfandangle Nobody here is doing that. We're simply informing you of things you don't understand. Nobody is saying being late diagnosed male is easy. Easier to get a diagnosis than women, but not easy. Calm down. You came in hot invalidating women's struggles with your original comment. Now you're upset because we educated you. 😆😂

[@alfreedfandangle]

​@@tartgreenapple1 I didn't invalidate anyone. I was expressing the view that the central issues were about late in life autism diagnosis. It is the title of the talk after all.

[@tartgreenapple1]

@@alfreedfandangle 😆 ok. Maybe watch the video instead of fixating on the title.

[@user-gl8lx6ft5t]

Same here!

[@MeganLehnert-wz7rp]

Right? I want to hear more. I received my diagnosis at the age of 37. It feels as if this TedTalks was created with me in mind. "you are not alone. In fact, you have never been closer to becoming the person you were always meant to be."

[@danielwilliams8346]

I felt isolated too with a lot of anger mixed in. The latter was mainly focused on why no one noticed beforehand. Having been diagnosed at 39, it would have made a big difference to have been diagnosed while a child. Then again, cannot waste time crying over what never was.

[@nataliesirota2611]

Thank you so very much for this amazing talk! I was not diagnosed until I was 58! It has been so freeing and I feel like I have a new lease on life.

[@ChristianGreengrass]

Makes me feel less alien as someone who is also on the spectrum. Thank you for this presentation. I am also very blown away by how hard it is for women to be diagnosed as compared to men such as myself. It’s great that she is advocating for the lost generation

[@jaydenken3]

Wish I could hear more! She’s incredible!

[@redpalex]

This is exactly what I need now.

[@tata2023f]

Thank you for this powerful speech! Your words described how I feel about disruptions and the loneliness caused by changes. I changed my country, I’m struggling with learning a new language, my master degree in one of the top 100 universities doesn’t work in here and lots of things happening… I feel lonely.

[@namuh_a]

This talk is so incredibly validating. I pulled a similar course-switch, changing first from Computer Science to Physics, then to 'Economics and Politics', and now wanting to leave uni and pursue other things more directly related to what I refer to as the Objective (to increase the freedom and flourishing of all). Talks like these have helped me to finally liberate myself, so I can help others liberate themselves too. Thank you :)

[@janieno1102]

Thank you for giving me a voice and the words.

[@MsLisa551]

Thank you ❤

[@TheAngelaoddone]

There are very few services for "late diagnosed" autistic adults. My psychotherapy practice is dedicated to serving them via individual and group psychotherapy and case management support. I thought I had done a deep dive into researching and understanding autism before I began seeing newly self- or "officially" diagnosed autistic adults. Nope. I have learned so much more from my clients, particularly when facilitating therapy groups especially for them to share and process their experiences discovering they're autistic and supporting each other with their new insights as they continue to navigate a predominantly allistic world, which I like to describe as being full of "neurotypical static."

[@CasMcAss]

Brilliant talk! Wow She's who we need more of

[@hollieverafter]

Thank you, Anna!

[@chaplainmattsanders4884]

Very interesting message. Well done.

[@jaydenken3]

Powerful.

[@divining_denizen]

Thank you!❤

[@erinhutchins5718]

Since 15 I have used self harm, I have wanted to end my life so many times, I even attempted to end my life in 2017. I woke up in the ER from a Seizure. I have had over 60 jobs, I’ve been treated like im supposed to be a “ normal 38 year old.” I have worked with autistic kids and adults, that’s the only job I’ve ever loved. I just can’t handle working with non- autistic people….they don’t understand.

[@ada13]

Bravo

[@KatieKate574]

40 here and diagnosed one month before I turned 40.

[@marshallgreen7815]

67!

[@neicya9949]

Thanks I appreciate you speaking out. How long did it take you to recover after? 😂 if I went on stage, I’d need a week to recover 😅 Another good conversation would be how growing up living undiagnosed and how you treat your children. Assuming I was NT, I often pushed my kids to do things I wouldn’t or did because I was pushed to be NT. It makes me sad to think about things I’ve said to my child and the process of unmasking. Letting them be free at home as well as me.

[@erinhutchins5718]

Anna please help me get a diagnosis, it’s a 2 year waiting list here in California…

[@SergioBlackDolphin]

Please, please, please, don’t leave those men who mask “like women do” alone! For the same reasons.. please. I am 51…

[@atomicsun72]

Thankyou for bringing this up. @SergioBlackDolphin I agree 100%

[@pb11118]

Yes but this is not what this talk is about. And the reasons are not the same due to mens power in society. Im a sociology lecturer, autistic & adhd (diagnosed age 40). Women on the autistic spectrum often engage in masking behaviors, adapting to societal expectations, which can be exacerbated by patriarchal norms. The pressure to conform to traditional gender roles & social expectations OFTEN leads them to conceal or downplay their autistic traits. This masking can make it challenging to recognise & diagnose autism in women, as their coping mechanisms might obscure the characteristic signs. Addressing these gender-related dynamics is crucial for a more accurate understanding & identification of autism in women. More evidence that the biomedical model fails us as women

[@WondersWhy]

check out sarah hendrickx autism in women and girls, what's the difference. she calls late diagnosed women the feral generation. I'm 71. that's it. my life.

[@noqueq9003]

I do intend to get myself a brainscan. I won't even waste any more time with non expertised ''experts'' who won't even recognise the HF autism in me because of my well evovled coping mechanisms and masking. A brainscan cannot lie even if it wanted to. And I want an answer.

[@gct685]

a brainscan won't help you... there is nothing physically visible in the case of getting an autism diagnosis. as a matter of fact I took part in a study that involved a brainscan (MRI) and was told that my brain looks perfectly normal. this despite having an official diagnosis of both autism and ADHD.

[@gct685]

we don't know what we don't know.... we don't know how many Men & women have gone undiagnosed because ..... drum roll..... because duh, they are undiagnosed... so please stop assuming that this problem only affects women. it affects men too. perhaps women are better at hiding it but this talk tends to make it sound as if being undiagnosed only affects women. stats about ratios of undiagnosed adults are pure speculation... because..... (loop back to the beginning)